Data processing system intended to facilitate confronting an offer and a demand

Abstract

A data processing system (X) is adapted to confront an offer (O) and a demand (D), in particular in the field of transportation of travelers or goods. The system (X) receives requests corresponding to new offers/demands, formulated by users (C x ) of the data processing system and data corresponding to offers/demands not yet satisfied from a plurality of secondary data processing servers (A, B, C, E) themselves adapted to confront an offer and a demand. After receiving a request corresponding to a new offer/demand formulated by a user (C x ) of the data processing system (X), the system (X) verifies if there is an offer/demand (O A , D A , O B , D B , O C , O B , D B ) not yet satisfied, received from a secondary data processing server (A, B, C, E) or transmitted previously by a user of the data processing system, that can respond to the request. If not, the system (X) stores the request in the data processing system and/or sends data corresponding to the new request to at least one of the secondary data processing servers (A, B, C, E) to enable confrontation with an offer/demand responding to the new request received subsequently by the secondary data processing server (A, B, C, E).

1 . A method for facilitating confronting offers and demands relating to transportation of freight, wherein the method comprises:
 enabling a user to send to a data processing system a request corresponding to a demand for transportation of freight or to an offer for transportation of freight,   having the data processing system automatically dispatch to a plurality of secondary data processing servers the request, the plurality of secondary data processing servers being each adapted to store and confront offers and demands for transportation of freight for matching an offer to a demand, and   informing the user when an offer or a demand stored in one of the secondary data processing servers matches the new request.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the request includes space and time data. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the data processing system includes a sending device for sending a response to the user who has formulated the request by electronic mail or facsimile or as a voice message. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , comprising receiving location information concerning the geographical location of the user and signaling to the user whether one of an offer and a demand that satisfies the request is located near the user or on a route of the user. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising automatically sending to the data processing system information concerning the location and the load of a terrestrial or airborne transportation means, the transportation means being equipped with terminals for sending information. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the information is analyzed by the data processing system based on demands or offers formulated by the users of the data processing system, wherein information is sent to the transportation means to report transport demands or transport offers to the transportation means if the transportation means are near the goods to be transported and able to transport them.